Can a Machine Be Creative?
Hi guys, welcome back to Read-Rebuild. I’m Jessie. Today, I want to talk about a question that keeps coming up in creative industries, classrooms, and probably in your own mind. Can a machine be creative? In the past few years, generative AI has gone from something we played with for fun, to something reshaping how we work, write, design, and even imagine. Tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Sora are no longer novelties, they’re part of daily creative routines. According to McKinsey’s 2024 report, 65% of organizations are already using generative AI on a regular basis. That number has almost doubled since 2023. This isn’t just a passing trend, it’s a major industrial shift. In my own research, I found that creative professionals aren’t just using AI for final products. They’re using it as a brainstorming partner, a sketch tool, or a way to explore visual and narrative directions quickly. So in that sense, AI isn’t replacing creativity, it’s speeding up. But that speed comes with a cost. Many artists and writers feel uneasy. Because behind every AI model lies a hidden archive of human labour — millions of artworks, texts, and sounds scraped from the internet, and it’s often without permission. For many creators, art is not just output, it’s self-expression. So when they see an algorithm mimic their unique aesthetic, it feels less like innovation and more like theft. In 2023 DACS survey showed most artists worry that AI will devalue their skills or erase their authorship entirely. Of cause, there’s another side to this story. AI also lowers barriers. It lets small publishers, students, or independent artists create visuals or prototypes that once required expensive tools. Maybe the real question isn’t whether AI can create, but what kind of creativity we want to cultivate. Perhaps the answer lies in collaboration. When people instead of treating AI as a threat, whatever as a collaborator — a tool that expands human imagination rather than replacing it. Writers use it to overcome creative block. Designers use it to test ideas. Human judgment, emotion, and intent still define what makes art meaningful. AI can imitate form, but not experience. In the future, the most exciting work may come not from humans or machines alone, but from both together — a partnership that forces us to rethink creativity itself. Thanks for your listen. You can read the full essay on Read-Rebuild. If you enjoyed this episode, share your thoughts in the comments. I’m Jessie, and this has been Read-Rebuild
